


#blindjustice

by whitchry9



Category: Daredevil (TV)
Genre: Ableism, Blind Character, Gen, Identity Reveal, Interview, Mixed Media, Newspaper Articles, Twitter, fake media, fox news panel, god so much ableism, idk how they work but I made it happen, media, sort of, tweets
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-05-25
Updated: 2015-07-12
Packaged: 2018-04-01 03:20:19
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 11
Words: 6,470
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/4003888
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/whitchry9/pseuds/whitchry9
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>When a scared kid that Matt rescued goes on the news to tell everyone about his story, he also lets slip that Daredevil could possibly be blind.<br/>The media goes wild. This is the fallout.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

  * Translation into Українська available: [#сліпеправосуддя](https://archiveofourown.org/works/6496381) by [LaVie](https://archiveofourown.org/users/LaVie/pseuds/LaVie)



> Will be a bunch of chapters with media elements, once I figure out how to make them look nice.
> 
> Prompt can be found here: http://daredevilkink.dreamwidth.org/1296.html?thread=1756944#cmt1756944

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Tiny chapter because OP over at the meme sounded like they were dying at the possibility of having to wait much longer.

The story broke a few weeks after Matt rescued the guy. He was a teenager, young and absolutely terrified from getting caught up in a human trafficking ring. He's nearly catatonic by the time Matt finished beating up the people responsible, and unlike the others, he was still sitting in a corner of a shipping crate.

Matt tried talking to him, but he didn't even seem to hear him. Matt even poked him, which provoked no response. He didn't really want to carry the kid out, because he was a bit big for that, and the last time he carried someone was bad enough.

“Hey,” he said. The kid turned his head slightly. It was better than anything else. “Listen, I know you're scared, but you've got to leave here. The cops should be coming, but so could more of their men.” He pointed outside the crate to the groaning men he'd already taken down. Three of them were still unconscious though.

“I'm not going to hurt you,” Matt told him. The kid didn't show any signs of being about to move.

Matt sighed. He was quickly running out of options. Short of carrying the kid out of there, he didn't know what else to do.

Except for one thing.

He tugged his mask off and looked in the direction of the kid.

“Okay, look. I know you're scared, and it's normal to be scared. But we have to go. It's over now. I'm just trying to keep you safe. And if you don't get up in the next thirty seconds, I will throw you over my shoulder and cart you out of here like a sack of flour. Got it?”

That got the boy out of his stupor. He nodded at Matt.

Matt got to his feet and tugged the kid up. He pulled his mask back on.

“Come on,” he told the kid. “Let's go.”

 

He figured it would be okay. He was fairly certain it was dark inside the shipping container, and the kid had only been able to see him for a minute at most. Surely it wouldn't have been long enough to recognize him.

Also shock. Matt was kind of banking on him being in shock.

 

He got the kid to the police station and forgot about the incident.

 


	2. Chapter 2

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Because the first chapter was so short and such a tease, here's another one.  
> Other updates will be slower.

Until a few weeks later, when a voice turned up on the news, announcing that he'd seen Daredevil's face.

Matt had to sit down after that.

 

“He rescued me from a human trafficking ring,” the boy explained. He sounded nervous, which could have been a byproduct of being on a news show for the first time.

“There were a bunch of us, all shoved in this shipping container down at the docks.” He took a shaky breath. “I thought we were going to die, or worse. And then... he showed up. We couldn't see any of it, cause they'd closed the doors, but we heard it all. And then he opened up the doors. The way he stood against the light, all we could see was his outline. Like an angel. But it was the Devil.” There was a noise that Matt assumed was him shaking his head. “Everyone else ran, but I was frozen. I couldn't move.” He took another shaky breath. “He came in and crouched down next to me. It took me a moment to realize he was talking to me, because I was so out of it. He told me we had to leave, but I was terrified still. He was about to carry me out of there, and he's not a big guy, I mean strong, sure, but not big, but then he took his mask off. I don't know if he was trying to shock me, or thinking it would be less scary for me, but it worked. I was finally able to make my legs move. He walked me to the police station and made sure I was safe before sort of... disappearing into the night.”

“So you have seen Daredevil's face?” the news anchor asked. Matt was familiar enough with her. She did a lot of the news in Hell's Kitchen.

The kid must have nodded, because she continued.

“So what can you tell us about him? Is he someone we know? Did you know him? What sort of person is Daredevil?”

“Well, it was dark,” the boy started. “We were inside a shipping container at night, and like I said, most of the light was coming in from the outside, so it was behind him. But there was one point where I noticed that he didn't look at me. Like, he was looking in my direction, but not at me. Or at anything.”

“Interesting. Did you notice anything else about him? Hair colour, eye colour, any scars or distinguishing features?”

“His hair was dark. I couldn't tell what colour though. I couldn't really see his eyes that well, cause like I said, he wasn't looking at me. He was pretty beat up though, bloody lip, black eye. The black eye was old. Not from that fight.”

“Do you have anything else for us?”

The kid must have shaken his head, because the news anchor spoke again.

“Alright. Thank you Irving. We have a self identified superhero expert on the line with us, Charles Simmons. Charles, can you tell us what you've gathered from this new information on Daredevil?”

There was a delay before Charles spoke. “Well Linda, based on this young man's testimony, we can learn that while Daredevil appears to be well trained in a number of forms of martial arts, that he is not by any means an expert. Based on the report of old bruises, it appears that he gets injured quite frequently. More severe injuries would likely require medical attention, so we should be looking for someone who shows up in emergencies room with unusual wounds and excuses, for someone with medical knowledge themselves, or someone with a medical contact that is willing to treat them without involving the hospital.”

“Charles, are you saying we should be trying to find Daredevil?”

“Well Linda, Daredevil has never been excused of the charges he was accused of earlier in the year. We still don't know if he blew up those building or killed those police officers.”

“So you're saying that we should ignore all the good this man has done, taking down Wilson Fisk, clearing the streets of criminals, and instead prosecute him for something that he was likely framed for?” the news anchor countered. Matt liked her more and more.

“No, that's not what I'm saying. All I'm saying is that we should work to identify who Daredevil is. He needs to be held accountable for his actions, like any public figure. Irving, I think what you said about his eyes was interesting. He never looked directly at you, you say?”

“No, it was kind of strange. Almost like he couldn't see me.”

“Irving, are you suggesting that Daredevil is blind?”

“I dunno. Maybe. Or maybe he just didn't like looking at me. How the hell should I know?”

“Thank you Irving, Charles. This is Linda for your eleven o'clock news, leaving you with the revelatory question everyone needs to ask themselves- is Daredevil blind?”

 

They cut to a commercial, and Matt sighed. Shit.

 

* * *

 

 

New York @NewYork  
New York's newest vigilante is apparently blind! Updates forthcoming! #blindjustice


	3. Chapter 3

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This chapter is just tweets, but for the sake of AO3 (which wants actual characters in the text box, rude) and for those using screenreaders, I've typed out the content.

Fox News @FoxNews  
BREAKING- vigilante Daredevil said to be blind by victim of crime #blindjustice

 

* * *

 

 

Gemma @gemma271  
Justice is supposed to be blind. Why not literally? #blindjustice #supportblindvigilantes

 

* * *

 

 

K2 @DDfan  
everyone needs to leave dd alone. he's doing a good job protecting this city <3 #blindjustice

 

* * *

 

ACB of New York @acb_ny  
if Daredevil is indeed blind, we are proud to have such a hero coming out of our community #blindjustice

 

* * *

 

Lena @ClaraOswin  
why can't someone blind be good at things? #casualableism #blindjustice


	4. Chapter 4

It was the first thing Foggy said the next morning. And he was kind of furious about it.

“What the hell were you thinking, taking your mask off? The whole reason of having a mask is so people can't figure out your identity. Or that you're blind.”

“He was scared Foggy,” Matt sighed. “What was I supposed to do? Leave him there until one of them woke up and killed him?”

“No,” Foggy retorted, “You should have kicked his ass into gear without showing him your face, and giving him this kind of information.” He waved at the TV. “I'm very angrily gesturing to the TV, which is _still_ showing his interview.”

“I know, Foggy,” Matt sighed again.

 

Karen chose that moment to arrive at work.

“Hey boys. Have you heard?”

“Yes,” Foggy and Matt said in tandem.

She eyed them. “Okay then... So I was thinking, who do I know in New York, mainly Hell's Kitchen, with a hot bod and literally is always hurt.”

Matt ducked right before Karen's purse would have hit him in the face.

“I am so glad you're actually him, because I just realized I could have killed you if you didn't duck,” Karen blurted out. “Also I'm really pissed at you.”

Matt sighed. “I suppose we're going to have to talk about this.”

“Does he know?” Karen demanded.

“She's pointing at me,” Foggy added.

Matt sighed again. “Yeah. Only cause he found me half dead.”

“I knew it!” Karen said triumphantly. “I knew there was something you two were keeping a secret. This was the car accident, right? That was totally not a car accident.”

“Yeah,” Matt told her. “Listen, I'm sorry Karen-”

“Shut up,” she told him. “I get it. Sort of. You were just trying to keep us safe. Except, you know, it would have been a hell of a lot easier to catch Fisk if you let us in on your secret!” she screeched.

Matt winced. “Could you keep it down? I don't think all of Midtown has heard yet.”

She clapped her hands over her mouth. “Oops. Sorry.”

“What, you've just forgiven him already?” Foggy asked her.

“Probably not,” she admitted. “You should probably be prepared to duck in case I try to hit you again.”

Matt nodded. “Good to know.”

Foggy clapped his hands. “Back to work on all those cases we don't have?”

“Sounds great,” Matt grinned.

 

He escaped to his office and tried to avoid the news. He failed miserably.

 

* * *

 

IS JUSTICE REALLY BLIND?

 

According to Irving Jenkins, a recent crime victim who was rescued by Daredevil, there is a possibility that Hell's Kitchen's very own devil may quite literally be blind to justice. The young witness stated that “[it was] almost like he couldn't see me” while discussing his rescuer on the news with anchor Linda Reynolds.

 

While some experts say that it's not impossible for Daredevil to be without sight, others argue that it would be impossible for a blind man to do those things. The blind community has been particularly vocal about it, stating that a blind superhero is no more unlikely than a man claiming to be a Norse God.

 

Details are still sparse, but it appears the official hashtag for this news story is #blindjustice. As of yet, the Stark Superhuman Resources Department has not commented on these allegations, and still have not declared any connection with the vigilante.

 

* * *

 

Matt leaned back in his chair and groaned. The screen-reader might have made everything worse, but he couldn't work out how to make it not bad. It was just all around awful.

Plus, the blind justice puns were getting very old, very quickly. And what exactly was a number sign doing?

He suspected that might have been an issue with the screen-reader, rather than something he just wasn't getting. (Although the other option was hashtag, and he didn't quite understand that either. Something to do with twitter?)

 

He double checked his email for a case. Nothing.

It was going to be a long day.

 


	5. Chapter 5

It was the next day, after Matt's computer read him three more articles, all increasing in horribleness, that Foggy came in and stared at him with what Matt assumed was a smug expression.

 

“What,” he sighed.

“The media is kind of eating you,” Foggy replied. He sure sounded smug.

“So what am I supposed to do about that?”

“You need an agent,” Foggy told him.

Matt laughed. “Yeah, and who am I supposed to get as my agent? The only people who know are you, Claire, and Karen, and we've already established Karen is no good at lying.”

“Ahem,” Foggy coughed.

“Really? Do you have any experience in this area?”

“No,” Foggy snapped. “But unlike you, I do know how twitter works. And guess what? You're trending. #blindjustice.”

“Foggy, are you holding your phone up in front of my face?” Matt sighed.

Foggy snatched his phone back. “No,” he retorted. “That would be stupid. Because you can't see it.”

Matt snorted. “Like that's stopped anyone before.”

“I am your manager now,” Foggy told him. “And guess what. I made you a twitter account. It'll take a while to get it verified, cause apparently twitter doesn't take requests from the general public, but I figure people will believe it's actually you if we upload a picture of you in your costume with a note. That I'll write. Your writing looks like a child did it.”

Matt snorted. “That's pretty much the truth. It's not like I've had much need to write since I was nine, Foggy.”

“Oh. Right. Okay, that's a good point. Well, other than that, what do you think?”

Matt shrugged. “I don't have much opinion on it. I don't see the need to have a twitter account.”

“Because of things like this,” Foggy told him, reading out one of the many #blindjustice tweets.

cool trenton @brosbeforeeverything  
a blind man can't be a superhero don't be ridiclous #blindjustice

 

“Their opinion doesn't matter if they can't spell ridiculous correctly,” Matt scoffed. “And for anything, there's always people who won't believe in something. Hell, there are still people who don't believe in heliocentrism.”

“I'm gonna pretend I know what that is. But whatever. Sure, you don't care what they think, but listen to this.”

bros @bros  
whose the witness? bet their making shit up 4 the money $$$ #blindjustice

 

Matt scoffed. “Like I said, always someone who won't believe. And I don't need them to believe it. In fact, it's better if they don't. There are only so many blind men in New York, you know. Probably even less with my body type.”

“How are you not freaking out about this?”

“I am,” Matt admitted. “Internally. I'll probably punch the criminals extra hard tonight.”

“Make sure to emphasize how much you can totally see them.”

“Shut up,” Matt muttered.

“So, Karen,” Foggy said casually. “She's less pissed than I expected.”

Matt sighed. “I think she's still processing. Tomorrow she'll probably come in and be super pissed, maybe not even speaking to me. Or she could be totally fine with it. Who knows.”

“Or she could throw something else at you,” Foggy offered helpfully.

Matt scoffed. “You're not helping.”

Foggy ignored him. “Anyway, you have a twitter account now. I want to post your first tweet tomorrow, but we can figure out what it'll say together. Also, a reporter called because they want to interview you.”

He ducked out of the room before Matt could reply.

“Foggy!” he yelled. “Foggy get back here!”

 


	6. Chapter 6

Apparently because Matt was a relatively prominent blind man in Hell's Kitchen, the news decided he would be good to interview to ask what he thought about the idea of Daredevil being blind. Matt panicked about it, because he wondered if it was a setup just to ask him if he was Daredevil, but Foggy talked him down. Apparently they'd also interviewed a computer programmer who was legally blind, and hadn't asked him about it.

So Matt agreed, albeit reluctantly.

 

* * *

 

 

INTERVIEW

 

“This is Matthew Murdock, a lawyer here in Hell's Kitchen who has been completely blind from the age of nine. We're here today to ask him his opinions on the vigilante now known as Daredevil, since we have had recent evidence that points to the vigilante being blind. Mr Murdock, what do you think about this?”

The reporter turns her microphone towards Murdock. He's dressed well with a tie, and is clutching his cane between his hands.

“You do know I'm not the only blind person in New York,” Murdock points out. He's frowning at the camera.

The reporter beams at him. “Of course not, but you are one of the most successful individuals with vision impairment, and almost everyone knows the story of how little Matt saved the life of the old man.”

Murdock's face settles into a thin line. “Of course.”

“So tell us, what would this be like for the blind community if you had this successful hero to look up to, who overcame his disabilities and managed to become a hero!” the reporter chirps. She realizes her mistake with word choice only a second later, and her face falls a bit, but she still manages to smile.

“Well, at the last meeting of the blind that we had, (quarterly, mandatory to attend),” Murdock says as an aside, “We discussed this Daredevil. Many of us are of the opinion that he was perpetuating the harmful illusion that vigilante justice is better than the American legal system. As a lawyer, obviously I have issues with the way he does things,” Murdock adds.

The reported looks confused, but doesn't want to stop Murdock in case he's telling the truth.

“My partner and I have a practice, Nelson and Murdock. We're accepting new clients if anyone in the Kitchen needs legal representation.”

“Of course Mr Murdock,” the reporter says quickly. “But what do you think about this Daredevil person and the rumour that he is in fact, blind?”

Murdock smirks. “Then it would explain his costume.”

The reporter doesn't know how to respond to that. The screen fades to black.

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> tbh I don't know where this fic is going or how long it will be. shrug.


	7. Chapter 7

They posted his first tweet together.

 

actually daredevil @actuallydaredevil  
I consulted a lawyer, who told me I need social media. #blindjustice #actuallydaredevil #picture to follow #whatarehashtags

 

“I guess we have to take a picture now,” Foggy said after a moment.

Matt sighed. “I suppose so.”

 

* * *

 

They took the picture that evening for twitter. Matt put on his costume, and Foggy wrote the sign, since Matt's handwriting had only deteriorated with the loss of his sight. (Considering his handwriting started as that of a nine year old boy's, it was nearly illegible now.)

“What does it say?” he asked.

“Um,” Foggy said.

Matt sighed. “Is this something that I'll be okay with having associated with me?”

“Um.”

Matt sighed again and ran his fingers over the page.

 

He rolled his eyes. “Rewrite it Foggy,” he sighed. “And I'll know if you write something worse.”

Foggy muttered something at him that he didn't bother to try to listen to, but he produced a sign that Matt would agree to hold for a picture.

 

They framed it carefully, so what could be seen of his face was shrouded in darkness. That's what Foggy told Matt anyway, not like he could tell. The horns also featured prominently.

 

They posted it. Within an hour it had more than a thousand retweets. The number of followers Matt had skyrocketed within the day.

 

Matt admitted that Foggy might have been a bit of a genius for setting it up.

 


	8. Chapter 8

There's one tumblr post that Foggy insisted on reading out loud to Matt, because “Your screenreader would ruin the entire effect, seriously.” (Matt was pretty sure that Foggy just wanted to be the one to share it, like a cat bringing you dead animals and thinking they're presents.)

Matt's not sure why Foggy was on tumblr, or how he found this post, but he sighed, and listened anyway.

 

“'Your fav is problematic: Daredevil

  * his first costume was literally bought online probably and looked super useless for protection

  * his second costume looks kind of ridiculous, which makes more sense given the blind thing

  * no transparency on how he picks criminals to beat up. although it's probably not racial stereotyping

  * likely the cause of all the canes that have been found in alleyways and dumpsters around Hell's Kitchen. seriously dude, pick up your garbage

  * speaking of garbage, multiple eyewitnesses have reported Daredevil falling into their dumpsters and getting trash everywhere when he climbs out

  * is a blind man beating up criminals

  * seriously do I need to go further

  * rescued a kidnapped little boy

  * took down Fisk, who had to be like twice his size

  * once referred to a foreign language as 'asshole speak'

  * probably gets hurt a lot and needs to be patched up

  * if anyone finds him in their dumpster, please let me know, I want to pick him up

  * like seriously problematic though, I'm not kidding'”




 

It took Foggy several tries to get to the end, because he kept giggling in the middle.

Matt admitted some of them were quite amusing. He wasn't aware that anyone had heard him when he'd told criminals 'That sounds bad, but I don't speak asshole'. Maybe he needed to be more careful.

“Okay, but the best part,” Foggy continued, “Is that the blog that posted it, their url is [ijustreallylovedaredevil](http://ijustreallylovedaredevil.tumblr.com/post/122292359960/your-fav-is-problematic-daredevil-for-my). So they are obviously a huge fan. I'd look out Matt, you might have a stalker.”

Matt nodded solemnly. “If I ever disappear from a dumpster, you'll know where to start.”

That was enough to send Foggy over the edge again, and he was lost to another giggle fit.

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This may or may not be on my blog. Somewhere.


	9. Chapter 9

Matt had to admit it was going better than he could have expected when he first heard Irving's interview. No one had flung accusations at him yet, and the news and media at large were still largely stuck on whether Daredevil could actually be blind or not.

Of course, Matt and his twitter account removed all doubt, which he realized only later on that it could have been a mistake. There were only so many blind men in New York, period. It was only a matter of time.

 

* * *

 

“A lot of people are saying the twitter account is a hoax,” Foggy announced. He'd taken on the role of Daredevil's manager quite seriously.

Matt only shrugged, his fingers running over case notes for an upcoming trial.

“We gave them a picture, what more do they want?”

“They don't think you're blind,” Foggy told him.

Matt laughed. “Right, of course. What are we supposed to do about that, post a video of my pupil not reacting to light?”

Foggy didn't say anything.

Matt groaned. “Foggy, no!”

 

* * *

 

actually daredevil @actuallydaredevil  
Since none of you believe I'm actually blind, behold, proof. #blindjustice #actuallyblind

 

* * *

 

Matt kind of hated Foggy a little for making him do that. The premise of a vine sounded interesting though.

 

* * *

 

Matt realized that he wasn't doing this for himself, or for Irving, or even for the community of his fans. He was doing it for the blind and visually impaired community, who everyone kept berating and assuming that Daredevil just couldn't be blind. He was doing it for his people, to prove that blind people could in fact do anything.

 

So his identity might have been a little bit at risk, but it was worth it to stick it to those ableist assholes.

 

* * *

 

He posted occasional tweets, taking credit for some good deeds he'd done. He also checked to make sure people he'd rescued were alright.

actually daredevil @actuallydaredevil  
Just checking that the woman I saved last night on w47th st is alright. If anyone has any info on her let me know. #blindjustice

 

He used it to warn people about possible dangers, and wondered if he could somehow set up a self defense class for the women of the Kitchen.

 

It was kind of nice to be able to interact with the public in a situation that didn't involve him rescuing them or being vilified by them.

 

* * *

 

 

actually daredevil @actuallydaredevil  
I hate to say this, but please don't walk alone at night. There are too many bad people out there. #blindjustice

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> There are at least two chapters left, one of them being a very long news interview, featuring everyone's favourite intern, Darcy Lewis.


	10. Chapter 10

Foggy had gotten wind of a news panel taking place on a major news channel. The subject- whether or not Daredevil could be blind. Apparently various experts had been recruited to talk about it, and Matt dreaded it.

 

Fox News @FoxNews  
On tonight's show- we discuss whether Daredevil could actually be blind. #blindjustice

 

Still, of course he was going to watch it. Listen to it. Whatever.

He sat down with a bowl of popcorn in front of his laptop and prepared for the worst.

 

“Welcome to the Fox News panel. I'm Shauna Richards and tonight's topic is the vigilante Daredevil. It has recently come to light that he may be blind. We're here to discuss whether that is even possible; if it is, then _why_ is he doing this; and should he be held responsible for his actions in a court of law? With us we have Dr Irina Pankova, who works as an ophthalmologist here in the city. She's here to provide us with more technical information related to the possibilities of a blind person being able to do this. We also have a representative from the Stark Superhuman Resources department, which has taken over many of the duties SHIELD used to do before it fell. Darcy Lewis acts as an intermediary between the Avengers and the media, and is also well versed in the politics of superheroes. We have Brett Mahoney here as a police liaison. He works at the 15 th precinct, and has met Daredevil in person before. Finally, we have Darryl Williams here with us, who is a member of the blind community, and frequently advocates for the rights of the visually impaired everywhere. Darryl, can you tell us about yourself briefly?”

“Well, I'm Darryl. I work as a computer programmer from my home in Midtown, where I have my own business. I've also been legally blind since the age of 12, although I do have some light perception.”

“Thank you. I'm going to start us with the tough questions right off the bat- is it possible for a blind man to do what Daredevil does? Dr Pankova, let's start with you.”

The doctor spoke with a slight accent, but she had clearly prepared her answers, since she spoke in a way that even those clueless about optics could understand. “Well, the first important thing to note is that not all legally blind people are totally blind. Many have light perception or shape perception, and some can even read normal print, but only at the very centre of their vision, like looking through a tube. There are a number of ways someone can be classified as legally blind, and there is nothing stopping someone who is legally blind from pursuing a career as a vigilante. It may be more difficult, and require a lot more work than someone who is fully sighted, but it certainly isn't impossible.”

“Thank you doctor. Darryl, what is your opinion on this?”

“I agree. I still have partial vision. I wouldn't go as far to say that I could become a vigilante, but that's rather more due to my lifestyle than my vision.” He laughed. “That would require a lot of working out before I got into shape enough to do anything like Daredevil.”

“So Daredevil could be blind?”

It was quiet, so Matt presumed the others nodded.

“So what does this mean for finding out who Daredevil is? Miss Lewis, is the SSHR working on finding out Daredevil's identity? Have any members of the Avengers met Daredevil? What do they think of him?”

“First of all, my name is Darcy. And secondly, no, the SSHR is not currently looking into Daredevil's identity. We believe it is his business, and as far as our lawyers are concerned, he has been cleared of any and all wrongdoing related to the explosions earlier this year.”

“Are you telling me that there is no open file on Daredevil, no attempt to discern his true identity, to recruit him to the team?”

“I'm sorry Shauna, did I not make myself clear? We are not looking into Daredevil. Period.”

Matt grinned. He liked Darcy.

“However,” she continued, “If Daredevil ever finds himself in need of assistance, the Avengers would be more than happy to help him out.”

Shauna made a huffing noise that Matt assumed was accompanied by a disapproving expression.

“And as far as the NYPD is concerned,” Brett chimed in, “Daredevil is not a person of interest in regards to any crimes.”

“Well, now that we have that out of the way, we should address how being blind would affect Daredevil's ability to be a vigilante. Doctor, what are your thoughts on this?”

“Well,” she began. “While I will admit it's unusual for anyone to demonstrate the agility and fighting skills that Daredevil possesses, it is even more interesting if we consider that he is a blind man. While senses do not necessarily compensate when one is lost, the other senses can be trained. Balance, equilibrium, kinesthetic awareness, they can all be trained through practice. And as for his ability to navigate, there are a number of well documented cases of the visually impaired using echolocation.”

“I've tried that,” Darryl added. “It didn't go very well for me, I couldn't quite get my tongue to make the right noise, but it's still fascinating to think about. I do know people who can do it.”

Shauna hummed. “Is it safe for a blind man to be doing these things?”

“What things would those be?” Darryl asked. “Living on their own? Crossing the street without a guide? Beating up criminals and sending them to jail? What exactly is it that you think blind people shouldn't be doing, you know, for our own safety.”

“That's not what I meant,” Shauna said quickly. “The real question is, is it safe for a blind man to be parading around, calling himself a vigilante? What about the blind children who hear about this, and think that they can grow up to be a superhero?”

 

 

Daniel Torluemke @foxnewssucks  
Where did they dig her up? Casual ableism everywhere, and not a sign of tact. #blindjustice

 

 

“They don't go to work at Fox News, because you clearly only hire the best and brightest,” Matt muttered to himself. “Don't tell them what they can't do.”

He really needed to be more drunk to listen to this. The popcorn wasn't enough.

 

“Shauna, I'm not sure I heard you correctly,” Darcy said sweetly. “Are you saying that blind children should be discouraged from thinking they can grow up to be superheroes? Because that is blatant ableism.”

 

“I agree with Darcy,” Darryl added. “No one should tell children they can't grow up to be superheroes. I'm sure no one told Tony Stark that he couldn't grow up to be a superhero. Maybe they didn't tell him he could, but no one told him he expressly couldn't. And look what happened. He became a superhero. Don't deprive anyone of that dream.”

Matt grinned.

Shauna was clearly panicking and backpedalling. “Perhaps the more important question is, should any child be encouraged to be a superhero? Should vigilantism be encouraged? After all, the Avengers are barely one step above vigilantes, mainly because their identities are all public, and backed by Tony Stark. Should we be allowing these heroes?”

“Who saved the city from an alien invasion only a few short years ago?” Darcy asked sweetly. “I'd like to hear what you think would have happened without them.”

“I'm not saying that superheroes aren't important,” Shauna protested. “Merely saying that there needs to be some system for them to be held accountable.”

“So you're saying that you want Daredevil to show up at a police station, pull his mask off, and tell them a story about his life? You want him to share his identity with the world, putting everyone close to him at risk? The whole point of secret identities is to protect the ones around you that would be targeted if others knew. How many times has Pepper Potts been threatened to get to Tony Stark? What you're asking, no, _demanding,_ is dangerous for everyone in Daredevil's life.”

 

Darcy Lewis @OurDarcyLewis  
Just so everyone knows, I'm even more appalled at her behavior than I seem. #blindjustice

 

 

Darryl, Brett, and the doctor hadn't spoken for a while. To be honest, Matt wasn't even sure if they were still there, or if it was just a showdown between Darcy and Shauna. Which was perhaps even better.

 

Shauna shuffled some papers, presumably her notes, probably just to give her something to do with her hands while she collected herself.

“Alright, let's get back to our topic for tonight. We've already established that it could be possible for Daredevil to be blind,which brings us to our next question- why does he do what he does?”

Brett spoke first. “I think that Daredevil is a man who knew what needed to be done. He was obviously aware that the justice system in Hell's Kitchen was corrupt, and decided to take matters into his own hands.”

“Why not just go to the police?” Shauna asked.

Brett scoffed. “Did you watch the busts or not? It seemed like half my precinct was dirty, and the others weren't much better. Sometimes it was even the police who were committing the crimes.”

“So perhaps not the police, but what drives someone to take the law into their own hands so physically? Miss-... Darcy, what do you have to say.”

 

Matt grinned. He was looking forward to this.

 

“Whoever Daredevil is, whatever his motivations, I have no doubt that he has people he cares about, people he loves, and who love him. He just wanted to keep them safe. He likely realized that the only way he could do that was on his own, with his own hands. He might not have been fighting a war like Captain America, or kidnapped by terrorists like Iron Man, but what motivated them to fight, still motivates them today, is the same thing that motivates Daredevil. And it may not be the legal thing to do, but it is the right thing. If he joined the Avengers, would you have the same issues? Of course not. It's because he works alone that you're so terrified of him.”

“No one said I was afraid-” Shauna began, but Darcy barrelled right on over her.

“Of what he can do. Everyone's afraid that this will be the final straw for actual equality, because if a blind person can be a superhero, what can't they be?”

 

Matt nearly cheered.

 

“I would like to thank everyone for coming,” Shauna said, strangled. “And now, the weather.”

 

Matt grinned and closed the tab. He needed to send Darcy a fruit basket or something.

 

* * *

 

Darcy Lewis @OurDarcyLewis  
Apparently @actuallydaredevil send me a fruit basket. Thanks bro! #blindjustice

 

Matt only shrugged at Foggy when he asked. “She deserves it,” he said finally, grinning.

Foggy agreed.

 

* * *

 

Some of the sound bytes from Darcy's tirade were played across news channels for days afterwards, and Matt found some of his ringtones changed.

He couldn't bring himself to be angry at Foggy though. He'd phone Matt just to hear “if a blind person can be a superhero, what can't they be?”

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Apologies to the people whose names or twitter accounts I've used.
> 
> Also, I don't actually know how these news panel things work, as I've never seen one, so I just made it up.
> 
> Plus it sort of almost falls into registration/civil war territory, which, oops.


	11. Chapter 11

He thought that would be the end of the buzz. It had been on national news, experts had been consulted, and it had been concluded that sure, Daredevil could maybe be blind.

It wasn't like Matt had already been saying that on his twitter account or anything, but he'd let them do what they wanted.

 

He thought that eventually, people would move onto something new and more exciting. Like who Spiderman was, and if he was really as young as some people claimed he was. (He was, because Matt had met him. But he wasn't selling that to the tabloids because he had a shred of decency.)

But Foggy informed him that his follower count on Twitter continued to grow, despite his lack of tweets. Forums all across the web were devoted to discussing his identity, and apparently there was even a Buzzfeed article of famous people who could be Daredevil. (He was amused to find a lot of the Avengers on the list. Like their day jobs weren't enough for them.)

 

He didn't get it. He had _fans._

Which, okay, was a nice change from the city being out to crucify him, but still baffling.

 

(As a bonus, most of the repeat criminals refused to believe they'd been beaten by a blind man, so didn't act on that information. No one thought that using loud and disorientating devices would be an effective Daredevil deterrent. So that was good. Matt like when criminals were stupid. They did use bright lights on multiple occasions, which had no effect. He wondered if they'd even bothered to follow him on Twitter. Do criminals have Twitter? That wasn't the point. The point was that their ableism was working in his favour. Finally.)

 

* * *

 

He did worry that it would be used against the blind community.

“ _Daredevil can do that, why can't you?”_

That was the last thing he wanted, for his existence to further the illusion that blind people were helpless or couldn't do things for themselves. That his feats would set back the strides they'd made in recent years.

God, he hoped it wouldn't.

 

* * *

 

It was a risk to his identity. But it was a risk that he wanted to take because it was just that important.

 

He knew that coming out would be a risk to his identity. But instead of denying it, he used the opening that Irving provided for him and embraced it.

Sort of. Maybe not at first, but after a while, he did. Because it was important for people to know that blind people could be vigilantes. Or superheroes, if that's what they were calling him now.

(He still didn't think of himself as one.)

 

And yes, it was risky, when there were only a few men in the city who could have been Daredevil, and he was one of them. It was risky to reveal that crucial identifying factor, because he knew if anyone tried very hard (Avengers) they could easily find out who he was.

So he had to trust they wouldn't. That was hard for him.

In a way, revealing that he was blind made everything harder, perhaps unnecessarily.

 

But if he got some fanmail from kids who were blind, heartwarming notes about having a hero to look up to and a role model to base their aspirations on, well, that was just a bonus.

(And if he said he didn't reply to each and every one of them, he'd be lying.)

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Well, that's probably it. I say probably because something could happen. Probably not, but shrug.
> 
> Also FYI, that article about people who could be Daredevil is a fic here http://archiveofourown.org/works/4093393.


End file.
